Russell Knox reckons he’s found a key to help he and Marin Laird deliver victory to Scotland in this week’s World Cup of Golf in Australia.
Knox has arranged for his Irish Open winning caddy, James ‘Wilbur’ Williams to jet out from England to join the Scot ‘down under’ in Thursday’s start to the biennial team’s event on the famed Metropolitan course in suburban Melbourne.
Williams caddied for 24-years on the PGA Tour, European Tour, Australasian Tour, the Japan Tour along with the Asian and South African Tours and ‘bagging’ for the likes of Masters and US Open winner, Angel Cabrera plus Swedish star, Alex Noren, Aussie Nick O’Hern and Korean KJ Choi.
Williams now works full-time as a Business Development Manager for the Derby-based Value Licencing.
Russell Knox and James ‘Wilbur’ Williams on route to victory at the 2018 Irish Open
Knox had managed to coerce ‘Wilbur’, and as he is more affectionately known, into caddying for him for three European Tour summer events – the French Open, the Irish Open and the Scottish Open.
The duo immediately gelled superbly for Knox to finish runner-up in Versailles and then blitzed the Ballyliffin field a week later for the Scot to capture the Irish Open.
Knox and ‘Wilbur’ then went to Gullane where Knox was well in contention after three rounds only for Knox to run ‘out-of-gas’ over the final day and with Williams’ cut of Knox’s £1.3m three-event prize fund worth close to £200,000.
“Ramon, and my coach and normal caddy, didn’t want to travel to Australia, so he and his wife were always headed home after the DP World,” said Knox.
“Knowing that, I’d arranged for James to join me in Melbourne, and having caddied for Nick O’Hern in Australia he knows the Melbourne ‘Sandbelt’ courses like this week’s Metropolitan Club so well, so that should be a great bonus for Martin and myself.
“He first caddied for me in about 10 events in my PGA Tour rookie year and he’s just a phenomenal caddy and we’ve always got on really well as you saw earlier this year at the French and then winning the Irish Open.
“I’m not sure if it would work out if ‘Wilbur’ could work full-time for me as he got a good job back in England and also has a young family with a great young son named, Jack.
“So, as much as I would welcome him back out here, it would be difficult for him to work but then in saying that, I’ve got something in the pipeline full-time caddie-wise for the start of next season.
“I’d rather not say who it is at this stage, so let’s just wait to the New Year.”
FOOTNOTE ….
The Metropolitan Club has hosted seven Australian Open’s, including Gene Sarazen winning in 1936, Peter Thomson in 1951 and the then 24-year old Lee Westwood shocking the golf world in beating Greg Norman in 1997.
As well, the club has hosted five Australian PGAs, one Australian Masters, the Australian Women’s Open and the 2001 WGC – Match-Play Championship won by American Steve Stricker.
“Metropolitan is an absolute gem and you can see why it has hosted so many Australian Open’s and other big tournaments,” added Knox.
“I’m confident Martin and I can really gel well as we did earlier this year. We both haven’t played as well as we have like this season in the U.S. and while I did get hot for two weeks back in Europe, Martin and I know we do team-up well together.
“So, it’s going to be an amazing week and looking at our team on paper we are experienced, we know how to win and with Metropolitan being one the ‘Sandbelt’ courses will play very links-like and also now knowing Melbourne it could be windy, it could be hot and it could be cold.
“And having grown-up in Scotland as we have you have to be prepared for all conditions so I can see Martin and I doing really, really well and it would be a great way to end both our year’s delivering victory for Scotland.”
